July 8th, 2023
Terra, Tempus 24th, 1194 (Continued)
We buy and sell stuff, then we will meet with Nadal. Outside of the Inevitable Order there are Madri guards turning people away. Robert, another Madri knight, recognizes us and lets us in. It turns out that there has been a portal that opened in the basement that has water coming out of it.
We meet with Nadal, who says that the portal is theorized to be a gate to the plane of water. The gate, which is currently believed to be a random, natural occurrence, showed up about a day and a half ago. We catch him up on what we’ve been doing–he takes notes this time.
We ask about the sending that never got delievered and he informs us that, in it, he asked how we were and asked about the Nissan Calendar. This doesn’t seem to be unusual and we still can’t determine why it didn’t work.
We discuss the “intro prophecy”, which is hard to understand completely as some of it is vague.
Strange light dances across the landscape. (Spell gorging, our purple haze.)
Animals behaving preternaturally.
A bear-leader inexplicably vanishes.
A moonstruck brigand tells unimaginable tales. (Dodd.)
An astrologer found abhorrently mutilated. (Valeria, 7 months ago.)
A mountain collapses. (The Red Mountains, 5 months ago.)
We ask about the babau and determine that it could be some sort of ritual. No one at this temple is very well versed in demonology and Nadal suggests we ask at the Parish of Everlasting Knowledge before delving into the Order’s vast library.
We visit the flooded basement and Sigmund and Ralzer both take samples of the water. Ralzer goes through the portal and finds it to be dark and wet. The portal on the material plane is horizontal and on the other side it’s at a 45 degree angle.
Ty and Ralzer get a reference letter from Nadal and head to the Parish of Everlasting Knowledge to ask about the babau ritual. Mikail hears that there is a request from a halfling and a tiefling, who have a letter from Nadal, and decides to meet with us. Since this is Mikail, we go over more information than just the ritual. Arcane tentacles are rare enough that not much is known; however, Mikail is also an avid reader of Investigator Vale and much of this is discussed.
Regarding the babau, there is a ritual called The Rite of the Six Shadows, in which each babau represents an aspect of darkness: obscurity, desolation, corruption, terror, betrayal, and demise. The ritual requires babau that are more powerful than normal. The ritual’s purpose is to communicate with powerful entities and open a gate to the Shadow Realm. Mikail believes that the ritual could have been used to communicate with a specific, powerful entity and then convince it to come to this plane.
Ty asks Mikail why he thinks Angelique is still silent. Mikail does, indeed, believe Angelique is still silent, but only Angelique. He goes on to explain about the Days of Reckoning.
Well over a millenia ago there was an event called the Days of Reckoning in which several deities broke sacred laws and died at each others hands. As history tells it, T’llax, the god of blades and the hunt, selected Axmir, the god of pillaging and war, as his prey. Eliaz, the god of laws and retribution, caught wind of this and decided to interpose himself in the matter. As it is one of the most sacred of laws to not directly harm another deity, he also requested assistance from Angelique and Xas’yg, the goddess of creation and energy.
T’llax was swift in his murder of Axmir and sought refuge with Veranna, the goddess of imprisonment, torture and tyranny. Veranna refused to give up the Hunter to Angelique and his companions, stating that he was now her prisoner and would deal with him herself. This did not please the trio and infuriated Eliaz that anyone would so boldly oppose Angelique that he struck out at Veranna. T’llax knew that any judgement cast upon him from either side now would not be in his favor and attempted to flee, maiming Angelique in the process.
It is well known that a wound caused by the blades of T’llax is nearly impossible to heal, even if inflicted upon such that of a god. Eliaz, whose judgment was clouded by his outrage, was dispatched by Veranna who then fled into her realm to recover while Xas’yg tended to the mortally wounded Angelique. The goddess was able to take the wound into herself, thus saving Angelique at the cost of her own life.
Angelique was eventually able to apprehend T’llax and judged him worthy of death, which he immediately carried out himself. The god of truth, however, could see some threads cast into this scenario by another source. Angelique stormed into the domain of Barnabas, convinced that he had more than a small hand in the start of this.
Bewildered that such an accusation would be made at him, Barnabas pleaded his innocence to the god of justice and suggested that blame lay with Leto. With Leto being most fickle, the two decided to invite him to a conference with Avarra. The conference is said to have lasted about a hundred years and the details of what happened in it are unknown, other than that the gods involved spoke to no one else and granted no spells during that time.
As the gods came back, it never felt as though Angelique returned. Mikail believes Angelique’s righteousness could have imposed a self exile on himself, and someone wanted to step in as a placeholder until he returns.
Graynor visits the Temple of Salvation to talk to his CO Guardian Dora and Sigmund joins him. Dora believes it is time for Graynor to be promoted to Defender. Graynor gets some new regalia and goes shopping for matching accouterments.
After meeting back up, Graynor decides to let Dora know about the site of the babau ritual and its possible dangers.
Tomorrow Ralzer will be enhancing his gun and making cold iron bullets. Then, we will begin our trip to the Gannet Mountains, following Tolm’s directions.
Bellum, Tempus 26th, 1194
It will take about 6.25 days of travel.
Mare, Tempus 30th, 1194
Ty gets a sending: “Beware the encroaching shadows. Consult the Oracle. Unlock the secrets within the tome. Act now, for time grows short.” – Bethany Swan. She responds with, “Speak clearly. I do not suffer for riddles from strangers”.
Ty takes another look at her book, and it is now nearly all of the Architects language. Sigmund takes a crack at translating it; he feels a little ill, but is able to learn a few things. There’s a ritual about calling an outer god, and creating a beacon that could attract it. The Mindstone Dagger can be used as a short-cut for completing this ritual. He also finds a name in the book that he instinctively feels should not be said aloud, Kaajh’Kaalbh.
Terra, Dracones 1st, 1194
This is the Spring Equinox.
Bellum, Dracones 3rd, 1194
We are approaching the small town of Rivershade and Ralzer says we are another 2 days or so from our destination.
Mors, Dracones 5th, 1194
We find one of the geological markers that is mentioned in our directions, so the entrance should be nearby. We see some smoke and investigate. We follow the path and it leads to what looks like an orc camp. Sigmund overhears them talking about Zeltron and we try to establish communication. They attack and we end up killing almost 20 of them as we battle our way into the fortress.